Are we sustainable? Promoting a culture of sustainability in planned communities with a sustainability focus

Abstract

Sustainability has become a primary concern of new communities worldwide. With regard to planned communities specifically, sustainability planning has taken into account technical environmental standards as well as economic and technological factors. However, planned communities must consider social factors, or their “culture of sustainability” if their endeavors should prove to be truly successful in not only being environmentally sustainable, but also uphold and encourage sustainable human behavior. This paper will first consider the definition of cultures of sustainability. Cultures of sustainability vary from one community to the next and are defined by a strong hierarchy of values. How these values are translated differ, especially as it concerns the structure and governance of a community; values can either be communicated top-down through institutions or bottom-up using a community based-approach. Second, this paper will explore the methodologies communities use to make themselves sustainable. Thir...